piston engines today are mainly used to power the vast numbers of
light aircraft and microlights , as well as crop sprayers and
crop-dusters, small helicopters, and fire bombers.virtually all
heavier aircraft are now powered by by jet engines. modern piston
aero-engines work on the same basic principles as the engine used by
the Wright brothers in the first powered flight in 1903. however,
today,s engines are more sophisticated than earlier engines. for
example , modern aero- engines may use a two stroke or a four stroke
combustion cycle : they may have from one to nine air – or water
cooled cylinders, which may be arranged horizontally , in a line , in
v formation or radially :and they may drive the aircraft,s propeller
either directly or through a reduction gearbox.
